Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the son of Cuban immigrants, expresses his disappointment in President Barack Obama's initiative to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Marco Rubio says he’s moving closer to a decision on whether to seek the Republican presidential nomination, but he’s not there yet.

Rubio tells National Public Radio “this is not a gut decision.”

He also says in an interview broadcast Thursday that he doesn’t have a “date in mind or a time frame in mind” for making his decision, “but certainly soon.”

Rubio, a Florida conservative, says he has “tremendous respect” for former Gov. Jeb Bush, who already has announced formation of an exploratory committee. He says that if Bush gets into the race, “he’ll be a very credible candidate.”

He says the two know a lot of the same people, but adds that “it’s not unprecedented” for two people from the same state to run for president.

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